Burnable Absorbers in Pebble-Bed High-Temperature Reactor Designs

Result code in IS VaVaI
<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F46747885%3A24210%2F26%3A00013631" target="_blank" >RIV/46747885:24210/26:00013631 - isvavai.cz</a>
Result on the web
<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0969806X25007613?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" >https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0969806X25007613?via%3Dihub</a>
DOI - Digital Object Identifier
<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.radphyschem.2025.113269" target="_blank" >10.1016/j.radphyschem.2025.113269</a>

Result language
angličtina
Original language name
Burnable Absorbers in Pebble-Bed High-Temperature Reactor Designs
Original language description
Pebble-bed high-temperature reactors (HTRs) that operate with an OTTO (Once-Through-Then-Out) fuel cycle face challenges such as strong initial reactivity excess and axial power peaking, which can compromise safety margins. This study evaluates the integration of burnable absorbers (BAs) directly into TRISO particle coatings as a strategy for controlling reactivity and flattening power distribution. A comprehensive neutronic analysis was performed using the Serpent 2 Monte Carlo code, which explicitly modelled the double heterogeneity of pebble fuel. All elements with natural abundance were screened and categorized based on their required mass loading and depletion behavior. At the pebble level, boron, indium, and gold provided significant initial reactivity suppression with stable burnup characteristics, while lithium and europium were effective for long-term reactivity control. At the core level, erbium, boron, iridium, mercury, and protactinium were successful in reducing axial and pebble-level power peaking, effectively shifting the axial maximum downward. The results demonstrate that optimized configurations of burnable absorbers can both control reactivity and improve power distribution in OTTO-cycle HTRs, offering a practical approach to designing safer and more efficient reactors.
Czech name
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Czech description
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Type
J<sub>imp</sub> - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database
CEP classification
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OECD FORD branch
20305 - Nuclear related engineering; (nuclear physics to be 1.3);

Project
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Continuities
I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace

Publication year
2026
Confidentiality
S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

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